Method of rolling disks



' therewith a central boss or Patented June 24, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICTE.

JAMESW. EUGHES, OF ?HILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T BUDU WHEEL COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF. I'ENNSYL- vmm METHOD OF EOLLING DISKS Application filed October 5, 1927. Serial a. 224,072.`

The method of rolling wheel disks of my invention has particular relation to the roduction of those relatively thin wheel isks which form the bodies of automobile disk wheels. Thesedisks vary in thickness from about at the rim to at the hub. In the pleasure car vehicle,' in which the great bulk of such thin disks are used, the thickness Varies from approximately g at the hub to approximately T g at the extreme periphery This is a continuation in part of my applicationyS. N. 170,893, filed February 25, 1927.

In rolling these disks, difi'iculty has been encountered in holding the dimensions to the very close limits which good practice requires. Also difficulties have been encountered 'in accuratel% centering the disks during formation. his not only roduces Variation in dimension, but also e ects eccentric distribution of the metal both within the body and upon its surface. In the latter case the result is a less superior finish and in the former case, a wheel less perfectly balanced. In the fine high speed motor car today these factors are treated with exactness by engineers and manufacturers. One object of my invention is in these directions.

Another object of my invention is the economical production of such wheels. Such wheels have heretofore been produced either by machining or by rolling by means of two conical rolls orby a process of combined Spinning and rolling. I aimto further reduce the cost in a process which may be most effectively carried out on an obtuse angle rolling mill of the type heretofore commonly used in rolling railroad car wheels. The process which can be carried out on this mill not only cheapens the product, but also improves its surface finish.

According to my process, disk-like blank from a hot billet integral dum-my hub. I center the blank so forged by means of this boss or dumm hub, and while so centered roll the disk-slzaped portion thereof to thin the same and to taper and' enlarge it to proper. diameter. During rolling, I pro the improvement` I first forge agressively feed substantially all the metal of the centralboss or dummy hub into the body of the disk, i and thereafter remove what remains of the central boss or hub. Preferably, I forge the blank and roll it, and carry out all' the angles in the same direction.

Figs. 1 to 4 of the accompanying sheet of drawings illustrate the method of my in vention, while Figure 5 shows the result of the product. I and 11 represent the obtuse angle dies in the machine by which 'my method is carried out. Their faces are configured to produce the disk formed of the blank. Centrally the face of the die 10 is recessed as at 12 to produce the boss or. dummy hub. A relatively axially movable plunger 13 is 'provided with a reentrant end 14 to assist in this formation. Coacting die 11 is provided with a fixed axial coring pin or plunger 15 of conical form. V The method is carried out as follows:

A hot billet of substantially cylindrical form has 'its ends pressed to engage within recess 12 and to receive the in.15 respectively, whereby the billet wlien placed inthe machine may be easily received thereby and centered therein. Thereupon, dies 10 and 11 are approached toward each other under pressure as indicated by arrows 16 in Fig. 2. The approach commences the formation of a dummy hub 17 on the billet and theformation of the root of disk portion 18. This bulging of the billet breaks the scale and frees it therefrom, the scale dropping between the dies and free thereof. Further approach of the dies under pressure as indicated in Fig, 3 completes the formation of the dummy hub 17 and con-` verts the formation 18 into the disk-shaped blank 19. The coacting plunger 13 is also approached under high pressure and either engages or is ready to engage and assist in the centering and forming of the dummy hub 17. `The blank soformed is centered by the dummy hub 17 in the same rolling dies in which it-has been' formed by the forging operation of the approach of the dies. Rolling is then started while the disk Ion blank is so centered, either in conjunction with the final forging operation of Fi 3 as indicated, or at the initiation of the nal rolling illustrated in Fig. 4:, as indicated by 5 the curved arrows. Th1s rolling thins and tapers the disk and enlarges it to full diam eter. During rolling the pin 15 enters the dummy hub and by virtue of its eccentric movement as respects the axis of the' die 10, cores out the dummy hub 17, feeding .substantially all of the mass of metal originally containedtherein out into the body of the disk blank, where it enters into the formation of the final disk body. Thereupon what remains of the dummy hub after the final operation as shown in Fig. 4: is cut out, producing a product shown in enlarged scale in Fig. 5 in which the aperture indicates the former location of the dummy 20 hub. This aperture is of the diameter necessary to enable the disk to be placed over the actual wheel hub structure in connection with which it is to be used. surrounding the aperture is shown a circle of bolt holes such as will appear in the finished disk to receive securing bolts.

That the method of my invention is capable of modification without departing .from its generic spirit is entirely probable in spite of the small number of steps involved and the apparent simplicity.

The annexed claims are therefore as usual, to be interpreted wholly in the light of the generic spirit of the invention.

What claim is i 1. The method of rolling relatively thin hubless wheel disks which consists in first forging 'a relatively thick disk with a dum my hub, centering and holding the disk for 40 rolling by means of said hub, rolling the disk to thin the same, feeding metal outwardly during the rolling of the disk, and thereafter removing the dummy hub therefrom to provide a hub receiving aperture.

2. The method of rolling disks with apertured centers which consists in forging a relatively thick disk shaped blank with a central boss, centering the blank by means of said boss, rolling the blank while so cen- 5o tered to thin the disk-shaped portion of the center, feeding metal outwardly from the center of the blank during the rolling opertion and thereafter removing the central oss. v

3. The method of rolling` disks with apertured centers which consists in forging a relatively thick'disk shaped blank with a central boss, centering the blank by means I of said boss, during rolling feeding substantially all the metal of said boss outward:

ly to the disk portion, and thereafter removing what remains of the boss.

In testimony Whereof he hereunto aifixes his signature, by r JAMES W. HUGHESJ 

